White-necked crow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-necked crow |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Corvus
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| Species: |
leucognaphalus
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| Distribution map | |
The white-necked crow (Corvus leucognaphalus) is the biggest of the four types of crows found in the Caribbean. This special bird lives only on the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It used to live in Puerto Rico too, but it disappeared from there because many forests were cut down and people hunted them.
Contents
What is the White-necked Crow?
The white-necked crow is a strong bird, measuring about 42 to 46 centimeters (16.5 to 18 inches) long. It's the largest crow in the Caribbean! Even though its name is "white-necked," its neck usually looks completely black. The white color is actually at the base of its neck feathers, which you can rarely see.
This crow is mostly black with a shiny bluish-purple color when the light hits it just right. It has a long, thick black beak that curves down a little. Unlike most crows, the feathers near its nose don't completely cover its nostrils. It also has a patch of dark gray skin behind its eye and a bare strip of skin at the bottom of its beak. Its eyes are a bright red color, and its legs and feet are black.
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White-necked crows often fly high above the trees and glide on warm air currents. This is different from another crow in the same area, the palm crow, which almost never glides like that.
Where Does the White-necked Crow Live?
This crow lives in both forests on lowlands and in mountains. It can even live in areas where the land has been changed by farming.
What Does the White-necked Crow Eat?
Like most forest crows, the white-necked crow eats a lot of fruit. It also eats invertebrates (like insects and worms), especially when it's feeding its young. Sometimes, it even eats small animals like native toads and baby birds. If it finds bird eggs, it will eat those too!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
White-necked crows build their nests alone, high up in tall trees. We don't know much more about how they raise their young, as it hasn't been studied a lot.
What Does the White-necked Crow Sound Like?
The sound of the white-necked crow is very unique for a crow; some people say it sounds more like a parrot! It makes bubbling sounds, squawks, and babbling noises. Its calls can be sweet and harsh, and some even sound like the common raven (Corvus corax).
Why is the White-necked Crow in Danger?
The white-necked crow is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN, which means it's at risk of disappearing. There are several reasons for this:
- Its population is spread out and getting smaller.
- People hunt them for food or because they think the crows harm crops.
- Their homes (forests) are being destroyed for farming and wood.
- A bird called the pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus) sometimes attacks their nests.
These same problems caused the white-necked crow to disappear from Puerto Rico, and they continue to affect the crows living on Hispaniola and nearby islands today.
See also
In Spanish: Cuervo de La Española para niños
